Why Less is More

The five companies featured in this month’s cover story, Brands to Watch, are using innovative packaging and marketing techniques to put their brands on the map.

A 2011 Edison Awards finalist; one of Time magazine’s ‘50
Best Innovations’ of the year; the host of the Sustainable Squeeze Pack Summit.
No, these are not national brands. Rather, they are challenger brands-small,
independent companies that are using innovative packaging and marketing
techniques to put their brands on the map.

Thanks to Twitter, Facebook and networking sites like
American Express’ OPEN Forum, they’re doing it on what is a relative shoestring
budget.

Case in point: the five companies featured in this month’s
cover story, Brands to Watch. From a small, Boulder-based nut butter company to
a tea brand inspired by the founder’s grandmother, each profile is a testament
to the fact that you don’t need to be a massive corporation to develop a
successful product. A little innovation goes a long way.

And, because these smaller brands are achieving newfound
fame, national brands are finding that they must also constantly innovate to
stay relevant. Take Kraft Foods, which, in order to compete with private label
products, recently redesigned its Mac & Cheese and Miracle Whip lines. Or
Starbucks, which, in removing the “Starbucks Coffee” lettering from its
identity, is repositioning its brand.

So, as budgets continue to get the squeeze and consumer
spending decreases, the leaders in this industry won’t be marked by size or
budget - they’ll be those that max out
their resources and work on continuous reinvention. Let your competitors look
to the big multinationals to figure out what’s new and what’s next. Our latest
crop of Brands to Watch is a reminder that small independents just might be a
better bet.

Events

Flexible pouch packaging is the fastest-growing segment of U.S. consumer packaging. For 18 years the industry has been served by Packaging Strategies' Global Pouch Forum — the largest conference on flexible packaging.